Business and the Economy

Civilian Employers Experience Military Life

They took a flight aboard a C-130 Hercules, had a Meal Ready to Eat for lunch, and watched a live fire training session. Several civilian employers got a taste of military life at Camp Atterbury, Indiana this week as part of Boss Lift 2011. Dave Robinson, a resource manager for the Army Corps of Engineers in Harlan County, Kentucky, visited the Kentucky National Guard's 149th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade.

"Knowing that they're going overseas, that's a really big honor just to come up and get to be able to see John and see what he's doing, see what they're getting ready to go do over in Iraq."

Specialist John Lundy left his regular job with the Corps of Engineers to go on active duty with the Guard. Lundy says it was good to see Robinson after being gone for about a month.

"It wasn't no different than being at home. I came up to him and gave him a hug and everything."

The visit was coordinated by a Department of Defense agency called Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve. Around 1,300 Kentucky soldiers will soon wrap up training and deploy to Iraq to assist with the military drawdown. ,br> Lt. Norman Norris of Louisville's Department of Corrections visited co-worker Sgt. Edwin O'Bannon. The deployment can create scheduling conflicts for employers, but Norris says Sgt. O'Bannon has enough to worry about.

"There's no questions asked, there's not a general attitude of oh he's gone again.' No. He's not going to Disney World. He's not going to California. He's going to a war zone."